


After Indianapolis

by AliceMayWrite



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Best Friends, Hot chocolate makes everything better, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:55:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25313437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceMayWrite/pseuds/AliceMayWrite
Summary: Ann is reeling from Chris dumping her. As always, Leslie is there to help.
Relationships: Leslie Knope & Ann Perkins
Comments: 4





	After Indianapolis

_“Who’s Rebecca?”  
“Exactly!”_

Ann was quiet the rest of the ride, but Leslie didn’t mind. She knew that she was probably still cringing from the residual embarrassment of Chris having dumped her, and Leslie knew the feeling. Sure, she hadn’t had a boyfriend so nice and positive that the breakup felt more like a marriage proposal, but she _did_ have a boyfriend who abandoned her with a broken kneecap.  
Leslie was pretty sure those two things, if they were on some kind of Venn Diagram, would be overlapping, with a great big: THIS HURT LIKE A BITCH in the middle.

Once they got to Ann’s house, Ann wordlessly handed Leslie a pair of fluffy pyjamas, and the two of them flopped down on the sofa with a sigh.   
“Do you want me to make you anything?” Leslie asked, eyeing Ann. “I could make you a hot chocolate, the Leslie Knope way?”  
Ann smiled. The Leslie Knope way involved a lot of whipped cream and sprinkles, and usually some chocolate sauce and assorted toppings. All of which she kept in the cupboard just in case.  
“That sounds great,” Ann replied. “I’m just going to take a shower.”  
Leslie nodded. “No worries, it’ll be ready when you get out!”

***

Ann spent a long time enjoying the hot water, and almost didn’t want to get out. She knew that getting out meant carrying on, and to be honest, she didn’t really want to think about the fact that she was single yet again.  
Breakups bothered her more now than they ever had when she was younger. Each time a relationship ended it was a reminder that she was getting older. She desperately wanted kids- and she wanted kids with somebody she loved. That wasn’t the path for everyone, and Ann wouldn’t knock anybody who wanted to do it their own way, but she really wanted that. She’d wanted that since she was small.

Ann thought about what Leslie wanted when she was small. To run in government, mostly. To take charge and be a leader. Ann winced a little- their dreams differed so much, and Ann almost felt ashamed that, compared to her best friend, her dreams were plain.  
No- they weren’t plain. She wanted a _family_ , and that wasn’t something to laugh at. But now she was single, and that meant even _more_ time before she would get what she wanted.

She was shocked out of her musings when there was a sharp rapping at the door, and then Leslie’s muffled voice rang through.  
“Ann? I didn’t realise you’d be so long and your hot chocolate is going cold. Then again, I added so much cream that maybe that was my fault. I can put it in the microwave but that might sort of… deflate everything. Ann?”  
“Sorry! I’ll be out in a minute!” Ann called back, trying not to laugh. If she could count on her for one thing, it would be that Leslie had a knack for shooing the bad feelings away.

***

“Sorry, I hope I didn’t interrupt your beauty routine or anything. Not that you need one- have you _seen_ you? You’re like a radiant, ethereal goddess with skin like a beautiful summer child.”

Ann had plonked herself down on the sofa, now donned in pyjamas as equally fluffy as Leslie’s. She had then been accosted with a plate filled with biscuits, and in the middle- the fabled hot chocolate.  
“This looks great, Leslie, thank you,” Ann said honestly.  
“No problem!”  
Ann was about to take a sip, but she looked up to see Leslie dithering by the sofa and tilted her head.  
“Aren’t you going to sit?”   
Leslie jumped, and moved to perch nervously on the sofa next to her.   
“I just want to make sure it’s good enough,” she said, her eyes fixated on the drink. Ann saw that she herself had a drink just like it, but Ann’s had even more marshmallows on top.  
“I’m sure it’s great, Les.” Ann took a long gulp to prove a point, and of _course_ it was perfect. Leslie relaxed, then, and took another gulp of hers.

“I gotta ask,” Ann carried on. “How you knew what you wanted so young? Career-wise, I mean.”  
Leslie looked at her in surprise. “Why do you ask?”  
“I don’t know, maybe I need a shake-up. A re-evaluation or something.”  
“Well… I just always knew I wanted to make a difference- do something better for the town.” Leslie chuckled. “I’ve got a lot of love in my heart for this town.”  
Ann grinned. “I know you do.”  
“What do you mean a _shake-up_?” Leslie asked her curiously.

“I just… I’ve always wanted a family. But every time I break up with someone or, in this case, get _broken up with_ , I just… well, it all has to start over again. I might not get a family the way I want it, and…” Ann took a shuddering breath. “That makes me really sad.” Ann ignored Leslie’s face and carried on. “And maybe I should focus on my career, or even change my career entirely, or-”

Leslie stopped her by putting both hands on her shoulder and staring into her eyes- or her _soul_.

“Ann Perkins. Beautiful Ann Perkins who I love more than life itself. I know you’re hurting, but don’t start spiraling. Trust me when I tell you that _you will be fine_. Things may not be going how you want them to, but I promise you- you will find every single happiness in the world. I know this, because I know you, and you won’t give up until you get it. Just like how I didn’t give up with the harvest festival, or Ron didn’t give up getting bacon and eggs.”  
Ann raised an eyebrow.  
“Oh yeah, he’s getting bacon and eggs. I got a furious text from him before that I couldn’t fully decipher, but hopefully he’ll be fine for tomorrow.” Leslie shook herself. “Either way, I know you’ll be okay. And I won’t rest until you’re happy. If it’s what you want, I will spend every waking moment finding you the perfect soulmate.”

Ann sighed. “Leslie, I love you. And I want to believe you, but I think it needs to happen on its own.”  
Leslie sighed and sat back. “You’re right. But it _will_ happen.”  
Ann smiled at her. Leslie spoke with such conviction that it was hard to disagree with her. Ann should hire her as her personal motivator, although Leslie already did it for free.  
"Look at you, always looking out for me. I love you, Leslie."  
“I love you too. Do you need to cry?” Leslie asked.   
Ann sniffled- how did she _always_ know? “Yes please,” she said with a shaky gasp.  
Leslie opened her arms and Ann leaned against her, and she let herself cry.

***

The next morning, Ann woke up to Leslie speaking very loudly down the phone. Blinking blearily, she realised that she must have fallen asleep on her last night, and the two of them had slept on the sofa- something that happened more often than she cared to admit.  
Ann sat up to see Leslie standing in the kitchen with her back to her, grasping the phone tightly.

“Do you mean it went well? _Ron_! Thank you!” A brief silence. “Yeah, things are okay here. I’m holding down the fort. Do you need me to pick you up from Indianapolis? Okay, well I was only asking! Will you at least tell me when you’re home?”   
Leslie turned around, then, and Ann gave her a small wave. Leslie’s eyes lit up.  
“Okay, I have to go! Okay- bye Ron!”  
Leslie hung up the phone and made her way back over to Ann.

“How are you doing?” she asked her. “You pretty much fell asleep like ten minutes after we finished talking last night so I couldn’t gauge if I helped you feel better or not.”  
Ann grinned. “Leslie, you’re so sweet, of _course_ you made me feel better. And thank you for being there for me last night.”  
Leslie shrugged with a smile. “Hey, men may come and go, but this is forever.”  
The two women hugged.   
“Maybe _we_ should just get married,” Ann said into Leslie’s shoulder. Leslie gasped, pulling back in shock.  
“Don’t even _tempt_ me with that offer- could you imagine how cool the wedding would be?”

Ann let Leslie talk, content to just listen to her. Things may not be okay now, but she knew they would be. At least she had the best friend in the world to help her through.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
